Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to commend the Australian National University's internship program and, in particular, Josh Hickman, who this year prepared Australia's response to China's regional influence: understanding, accepting and working with a rising power. As we know, China's unprecedented economic success really has stimulated in the last decade a rise in their political and strategic regional influence, and this has led to more ambitious regional goals for China. This has inexorably also tied China's regional actions to Australia's future. As we know, China is determined and intent on becoming the strongest power in Asia—as Xi has referred to, the 100-year goal of national rejuvenation.

It is China's unique socialist political system, its human rights record, its questioning of Western and liberal values and increasing geopolitical ambition that has led it into direct non-military conflict with other Western powers. This increasingly sets challenges for Australia, as to where we see ourselves going in this relationship in the next generation. I want to commend a very thoughtful report here, and I would ask leave to present this report.

Leave granted.

I present the report.

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